This application relates to a new cultivar of Calathea. The new variety is the product of chance discovery, by the inventor, Rene Denis. The new variety originated as a naturally occurring whole plant mutation from the unpatented commercial variety Calathea ‘Gekko Pink’.
The new variety was first selected by the inventor, in the breeder's commercial greenhouse in Lochristi, Belgium during the Fall of 2009. After identifying the new variety as a potentially interesting selection, the inventor continued confidential testing and propagation of ‘BICA146’, assessing stability of the unique characteristics of this variety.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘BICA146’ was first performed in a commercial laboratory in Belgium by tissue culture in December of 2010. Access to all plants was restricted, as plants were kept in a greenhouse not open to the public. Through subsequent propagation, many generations have been reproduced, which have shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.